iOS 17.4 is hailed as one of the major upgrades and it is due to arrive in March when iOS 18 begins testing out. The iOS 17.4 beta 1 is already out and we are expecting beta 2 to arrive soon with bug fixes. We have already used iOS 17.4 beta and this is the list of all the major features this incremental update brings to the table. From updated Stolen Device Protection to app store changes for the EU, here are some major changes that will be forged as a part of iOS 17.4 arriving this March.
iOS 17.4 Features: App Store Changes For EU
The people living in the EU will see one of the most drastic changes onboard iOS 17.4. First up, Apple is introducing sideloading on iOS 17.4. It means it is not just accessible but legal for iPhone users to use alternative app stores to download and install apps. Of course, these apps will still be covered under Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) feature that prevents apps from transmitting user data to the app developers. As said, the feature is exclusively for the EU which means people in 27 countries (part of the EU) will be able to enjoy it.
Moreover, iOS 17.4 brings alternative payment options on the App Store as well as the ability to use NFC chips on your iPhone for contactless payments using third-party wallets. There’s also a big change in terms of the default web browser you can use. It is no longer just Safari but you can choose where you get your information from such as Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome among others.
Apple Podcasts Transcripts
You are listening to a podcast and suddenly, there’s a section that you can’t understand. You can always rewind a bit to listen but sometimes, it is easier said than done, right? Well, with iOS 17.4 in the picture, the Cupertino-based giant is rolling out transcripts for podcasts. As the name suggests, the feature will kick start transcription of any podcast you section highlighting each word the podcaster says giving you a better understanding of the subject in discussion.
The feature works akin to lyrics when playing a great song, to be honest. At present, the transcripts are available in English, German, Spanish, and French and will be added for more languages as well as the episodes in the catalog. And yes, this is a general feature and not limited to users in the EU.
New Emojis
Tell me how would you show you are ‘happy’ in a text message? Probably by using an emoji, right? Well, emojis have become integral in our lives and there are emojis for any use cases you might think. Apple is adding new emojis to iOS 17.4 including a lime, a head shaking vertically and horizontally, a brown mushroom, and many more because there are 100 of them arriving with the latest beta and the soon-to-arrive public version.
iOS 17.4 brings fortified Stolen Device Protection
With iOS 17.3 dropping a few days ago, Apple introduced ‘Stolen Device Protection’, a feature that prevents potential theft by adding a one-hour security delay when someone tries to break into your phone and change certain settings. Apart from the bug fixes and optimizations, iOS 17.4 beta has also added the feature to stay active at all times or you can turn it on when the phone is away from familiar locations such as your home or office. Of course, these changes will make their way to the stable iOS 17.4 set to arrive next month.
The Next-Gen CarPlay
Apple officially confirmed rolling out the next-gen CarPlay support on the first of the U.S. vehicle models set to debut this year. The first beta of iOS 17.4 contains references to eight apps that will be a part of next-gen CarPlay. It includes ‘Charge’ to showcase charging capacity and status; ‘Closures’ to detect if car doors are locked up or not; ‘Trips’ for all the information related to a trip and more.
There’s also a ‘Climate’ app dedicated to showcasing climate controls on the vehicle right from AC to heating, temperature adjustments, fan speeds, etc. The next-gen CarPlay has ‘Auto Settings’ for all you need settings; there’s ‘Car Camera’ that gives you real-time and stored feed on your rear-view camera; the ‘Media’ takes care of everything from FM to AM to streaming and more. Finally, we have ‘Tire Pressure’ and as the name suggests, it is made to check car tire pressure and flat tire warnings to name a few.
